KOTA KINABALU: The pledges made in the Barisan Nasional Manifesto covering the Sabah and Sarawak agenda shows that the coalition lives up to its promises and words.
Political analysts and academicians here were enthusiastic over more of East Malaysia’s historical facts being incorporated in the school syllabus as well as the setting up of the Native and Indigenous People Studies Institute at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
Unimas political scientist Dr Arnold Puyok observed that the manifesto segment for Sabah and Sarawak was relevant to the the needs of both states.
Sabah Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) senior lecturer Tony Paridi Bagang echoed the sentiment, saying that it reflected the demands and aspirations of the people in both states, and will resonate well with voters.
While the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) promise was a continuation of the federal government’s determination, new items like providing special assistance for Sabah and Sarawak entrepreneurs will be a boon for fresh graduates.
“On improving security assets under Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone), it shows that the government looks at the threats seriously.
“More so since threats are continuously evolving, Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) must always be one step ahead as far as security is concerned,” said Tony, who is from the Administrative Science and Policy Studies Faculty.
“On the proposed Institut Kajian Peribumi and Penduduk Asli, it is a big recognition for the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak.
“It also allows for extensive research thus promoting better understanding among Malaysians,” he added.
UMS senior lecturer and researcher Dr Zaini Othman pointed out that based on the manifesto, it appears that BN will stick to its politics of development for Sabah and Sarawak.
“The plan to set up the new Institute at my university and Unimas would also be welcomed by the majority of Sabahans and Sarawakians,” he added.
Meanwhile, UMS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr D Kamarudin D Mudin was happy to hear about the new proposed institute.
At present, UMS has one centre and two research units dealing with the particular subject matter; namely Ethnography Studies and Development Centre, Borneo Heritage Research Unit as well as Research Unit for languages and linguistics of Sabah. UMS also has a Kadazan Dusun chair.
“We are also hoping that this manifesto will materialise and complement our direction in UMS on the aspect of preserving the natives’ languages,” he said.